Aliquots - Research Briefs

February 14, 2018

A new target for neuroblastoma

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered that a sirtuin protein has oncogenic properties in neuroblastoma cells — and that blocking it reduces their growth and tumor-like characteristics.

By Leigh MacMillan
February 13, 2018

Cognition in rare hormonal disorder

Vanderbilt investigators have conducted the first systematic evaluation of cognitive function in children with a rare genetic disorder.

By Leigh MacMillan
February 12, 2018

Protecting transplanted lungs

Acetaminophen may offer a simple treatment to prevent tissue injury following lung transplant, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

By Leigh MacMillan
February 9, 2018

Muscular dystrophy clue

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered a role for immune system T cells in slowing the decline in skeletal muscle function in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

By Meredith Jackson
January 31, 2018

Cell skeleton and the brush border

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered a role for microtubules — part of the cellular “skeleton” — in organizing the unique sidedness of the epithelial cells that line organs like the intestines.

By Leigh MacMillan
January 29, 2018

Imaging features predict tumor grade

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered imaging features associated with increased risk for aggressive meningiomas (tumors of the brain membranes) that could help guide surgical planning and patient counseling.

By Leigh MacMillan
January 26, 2018

Versatile C. difficile blocker

New research reveals a unique mechanism of C. difficile toxin neutralization by a monoclonal antibody, suggesting new therapeutic approaches.
By Bill Snyder
January 25, 2018

A cataract-heart connection

Studies of alpha-B crystallin in zebrafish could ultimately lead to improved treatment for cataracts and heart disease.
By Meredith Jackson
January 17, 2018

HDL and kidney injury after surgery

Higher concentrations of high-density lipoproteins — HDL, the “good” cholesterol — may be protective against acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.
By Jenelle Grewell
January 16, 2018

A spicy finding

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that curcumin — the active ingredient in the spice turmeric — needs to be metabolically activated to exert anti-inflammatory effects.
By Leigh MacMillan
January 12, 2018

BOLD view of white matter

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered that functional MRI detects neural activity in both gray and white matter in the brain, suggesting new ways to investigate diseases such as Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis.
By Bill Snyder
January 11, 2018

Lighting up iron levels

A new probe enables iron imaging in living animals, providing a unique tool for studying iron’s contributions to health and disease.
By Leigh MacMillan
December 21, 2017

Obesity interventions: ideal dose?

The optimal “dose” for behavioral interventions to treat childhood obesity are not clear, Vanderbilt researchers concluded after analyzing 133 clinical trial that occurred over the course of 17 years.
By Leigh MacMillan